I seemed to hear a sound.
The sound of two people arguing, hurling sharp insults at each other.
Whose voices were they?
And where was this?
My consciousness seemed to be sinking into a state of chaos.
The moment I was submerged in the water.
It was like sinking into an endless ocean, into a sunless darkness.
Gradually, I began to hear all sorts of sounds.
I could hear the footsteps of those who had walked through the cavern.
I could hear the voices of the people here, talking amongst themselves.
And mixed in with these sounds were others, more distant, more obscure.
A cold malice spread through it all.
Vaguely, I could feel myself approaching the source of that malice.
Such an intense emotion.
That... that rage, a hatred so profound it wanted to destroy everything.
No, I can't!
I can't keep sinking like this!
Gao Hai's eyes flew open, and he struggled to lift his head against the surging current.
He had already put the Rescue Team Badge back on, using its power and his own willpower to break free from the grasp of that bizarre force.
But the moment he looked up, Gao Hai froze.
He was sitting in a sun-drenched office.
A glass cabinet to one side held many certificates, one of which—for the Red Nut Gray Hole being rated a national-level tourist attraction—was specially framed and placed deliberately in the very center. On the other side, by the window, was a coffee table and a few sofas, apparently for business discussions. There was even a liquor cabinet in the room, filled with all kinds of foreign spirits.
The floor was covered with a carpet that looked expensive at a glance.
A fireplace was built into the wall behind him, but there was nothing in it at the moment; it looked like it wasn't in use.
Gao Hai lowered his head and looked at the desk before him.
On the desk was a single sheet of paper, written in very neat Spanish.
"Second Containment Wall Collapse Accident Report and Resignation Letter"
An accident report? A resignation letter?
Gao Hai's gaze fell upon the contents of the paper.
[To Pedi, you money-grubbing fucking moron:]
[Since the Great Slide was sealed, this is the second time the containment wall has collapsed. Last time it was poor Eugene who got stuck in the "Vessel." Luckily, he was too fat and got wedged at the entrance, so we managed to get him out in the end. But this time, Evan and Bert, they didn't make it back.]
[Of course, you've already smoothed everything over. The security guards you hire are all loners with no family. Even if they die in there, no one will ever know. After all, you're the president of the Red Nut Gray Hole Tourism Development Company. Even congressmen have to dine with you, right?]
[I don't have much to say. I just hope you know this won't be the last time that wall collapses. No, you already knew that. We all know that. Ever since that incident, it's never been quiet in there. You and I both know exactly what the situation is. It's just that you think as long as the tourists aren't harmed and the ones who die are insignificant, everything can be covered up, can be pretended not to exist. You can keep making money without a care in the world, so none of this matters, right? If that's what you think, all I can say is that you'll pay the price for it sooner or later. I hope you can handle it when that day comes.]
[The investigation results for the collapse area are simple, same as the first time. Something applied force from the inside—a considerable amount of force—and smashed the wall open directly. Yes, I'm saying something inside the Great Slide smashed this concrete wall to pieces. Smashed this wall that was specially thickened and reinforced with steel bars.]
[I'm not doing this anymore.]
[That's right, this is also my resignation letter. I'm sure you figured that out when you saw the title.]
[Whoever wants to stay in this godforsaken place can stay. I quit. I'm not going to keep playing your games with you. That's it. Those are my last words to you.]
[You think you can smooth everything over, huh? Then go ahead. It's got nothing to do with me anyway. I've resigned.]
[I just can't believe you'd sink this low one day. But what does it matter? Keep playing with your attraction, keep flaunting your wealth, keep letting those poor souls pay the price for your greed.]
[—Werbo]
The president of the Red Nut Gray Hole Tourism Development Company... Pedi? And this person resigning, his name is Werbo?
For the first time, Gao Hai had obtained character information related to the instance. After struggling in this bizarre, twisted place for several hours, he had finally found something useful.
This information... did it come from someone's memory?
In that moment he sank into the water, he seemed to have come into contact with the memory residue of a great many lingering obsessions from the dead.
They were the echoes of those who had perished here.
And this one seemed to be the memory residue of someone with an extremely strong obsession. The deceased's obsession was so profound that this document was left with complete, clear text.
Pedi, was this man the boss who used to operate the Red Nut Gray Hole?
He and this person named Werbo were both well aware of the security guards' disappearances. This meant that when Pedi was managing the company, the Red Nut Gray Hole was already in the period of gradually breeding its horror-story anomalies. No, more than that. The report mentioned an incident and emphasized that all the abnormalities began after that incident. This means the two people mentioned in this report may have come into contact with the core of the horror story, the source of this instance!
Splash—
The small office was gradually becoming blurry.
This echo of obsession he had captured, affected by something unknown, seemed to be on the verge of fading away.
Could he find information directly related to the core obsession here?
Gao Hai lowered his head and looked at the cabinet under the desk.
No matter who this echo of obsession came from, if he could obtain this kind of information, then it was possible that intelligence pointing directly to the core also existed.
However, once he learned the relevant information, he might be cursed, just like at the Shirakawa Apartments.
But he was already in a crisis from being watched by something, and it was very likely he wouldn't be able to leave this instance alive anyway.
If that's the case, a little more pressure wouldn't be a problem!
Without the slightest hesitation, Gao Hai pulled open a drawer and looked at the stacks of files inside.
The writing on these files was very blurry. It was clear the owner of the memory didn't consider them important, so no clear record was left.
Gao Hai grabbed all the files but found nothing useful.
So he pulled open the second drawer, only to find it empty.
He stood up from the chair and squatted down.
Gao Hai grabbed the handle of the third, bottom-most drawer.
It didn't budge; the drawer was locked.
So Gao Hai punched through the drawer's front panel and forcibly ripped it out.
Just as he expected, there was a file inside, one that was sealed in a document pouch.
He seemed to hear someone's voice calling out to him.
But Gao Hai couldn't be bothered with that. He tore open the pouch and ripped out the document inside.
He saw the cover of the document, saw the line of text at the very top.
[Confirmed: corpse cannot be retrieved]
[Possibility of further collapse within the Vessel is increasing. No longer suitable for use as an explorer's recreational area]
[Final decision: The Great Slide will be sealed. No further development of the area beyond it]
[Erect a monument at the entrance of the Great Slide. Let this place be his grave]
[May he rest in peace. May Ande...]
He couldn't finish reading the rest.
Because an intense sensation, like surfacing from deep water, enveloped Gao Hai's entire body in an instant. The next moment, when he opened his eyes, he found himself wearing a yellow-and-white striped uniform. In front of him, a soaking-wet Chika Fujiwara was wearing the same kind of uniform and coughing up some muddy water with a pained expression.
"You..."
Gao Hai understood what had happened.
After Chika Fujiwara had put on the yellow-and-white striped uniform and realized Gao Hai hadn't come with her, she had switched back into the rescue suit she'd been holding, teleported back, found the submerged Gao Hai, and changed his clothes for him underwater.
Was this girl really that bold and decisive?
Gao Hai didn't know how to describe Chika Fujiwara. He was about to say something when he felt a faint pain all over his body. Pulling open his clothes, Gao Hai discovered his body was covered in bluish-purple handprints, as if countless people had been grabbing him, trying to drag him somewhere.
When I touched the echo in the obsession, was I simultaneously being touched by the anomaly formed by that obsession? But because my mind was in a hallucination, I couldn't realize I was dying, couldn't feel the pain or the malice?
If she hadn't come back to save me, I'd probably be dead right now, even if I got the information.
"Thank you."
In the end, Gao Hai offered his thanks with utmost sincerity.
"Ahaha, it feels like we're in an extreme sports challenge! By the way, Gao-kun, our numbers... they seem to both be C3."
Chika forced a cheerful smile for Gao Hai, then pointed to the number on her uniform.
Gao Hai was about to say something more when the sound of a door opening and footsteps came from the side. Only then did he realize he was in a large, white, shower-like room. Not far away, a soldier in full black tactical gear walked in, rifle in hand, and pointed the barrel directly at him and Chika.
Not human. It's an anomaly.
The moment it appeared, Gao Hai recognized its true nature.
[Number C3, please proceed to the designated area for showering. After showering, proceed to the personnel lounge.]
The soldier spoke in a dull, lifeless voice. Its tone didn't sound very threatening, but its finger was already on the trigger.
"Quick, get up, don't just lie there..."
Gao Hai stood up, enduring the pain in his body. He then helped the somewhat exhausted Chika Fujiwara to her feet. Turning around, he saw there were only three fully-enclosed shower stalls, numbered C1, C2, and C3. Considering both his and Chika's uniforms were numbered C3, he supported the girl and walked directly into stall C3.
The stall was a small, cylindrical area with a metal door for entry and exit. After Gao Hai helped Chika inside, the metal door slid shut automatically.
[Please complete your shower within 15 minutes.]
A cold, mechanical voice sounded. Then, Gao Hai saw a small platform automatically extend from the wall, holding shampoo, shower gel, and a towel.
Wait.
He suddenly sensed something was wrong.
Both of their uniforms were numbered C3, and now they were both trapped in this small stall.
This development, could it be...
Gao Hai's mouth fell open, unsure of what kind of expression he should be wearing right now.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the research base, a bewildered Maki and Kaguya walked into a small room and looked at the various monitors on display.
"The exploration personnel have all returned and completed the procedures. Why would the shower area suddenly activate again?"
With this question in mind, Maki walked up to the monitor. As her identity was automatically recognized, the monitor feed switched.
And in the next moment, both Maki and Kaguya froze on the spot.
________________________________________
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